Fulham 3 - 3 Manchester City

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Saturday Sep 22 2007 05:15

Two inspired substitutes clawed the game back for Lawrie Sanchez's Fulham as they came from behind to equalise and very nearly the win this pulsating game with Manchester City.Ki-Hyeon Seol and Danny Murphy combined as the former Spurs man rolled the ball past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in the 75th minute.

This six-goal bonanza put paid to Sven-Goran Eriksson's conservative start to his Premier League campaign - City's previous five games had ended 1-0.

City held on for the draw - their first of the season - and Sanchez managed to break the hoodoo of conceding late as Fulham, urged on by an expectant crowd, showed great character.

After a slow start, the game really ignited after the interval.

The teams went into the break with one goal a piece, with Welshman Simon Davies having opened the scoring for the home side.

After 13 minutes the tousle-haired winger ghosted in from the right, undetected by City's sluggish defence, and ran in between Micah Richards and Richard Dunne to nod home Hameur Bouazza's cross at the near post.

The City skipper, making his 250th Premier League appearance, was culpable after ball watching, but his team managed to equalise through left-winger Martin Petrov ten minutes before the break.

The Bulgarian cut inside from the left and breezed passed the woeful challenges of Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird before shooting.

Fulham keeper Antti Niemi should have done better, though Petrov did not mind - it was his first for City since signing from Atletico Madrid in the summer.

The goal spurred City on and Fulham played as though they were expecting to lose, though Sanchez had other ideas.

At half-time he brought on striker Diomansy Kamara, who made an immediate impact.

He was felled on the left edge of the area by Dunne and Bouazza netted the resulting free-kick.

Petrov, galvanised by his first-half goal, began to look menacing, and his shot three minutes later was parried by Niemi, but only as far as Emile Mpenza, who

obligingly nodded in.

The winger then put City ahead ten minutes later after volleying home a one-two with Elano.

Murphy and Seol came on with 22 minutes left and Fulham looked hungry again.

Murphy's goal - his first for the club - was deserved for Fulham's tenacity.

The 30-year-old could have won the game for Sanchez but he blazed over two minutes later.

In the end a draw was a fair result in a game where both teams tried their hardest and produced a great spectacle.

  • 90
    All square at Craven Cottage after a thrilling game
  • 90
    Geovanni drived forward from the middle and opened up some space to shoot, but his effort flew desperately over the bar
  • 90
    Kasper Schmiecal made a difficult decision to come and punch the ball from a free kick and he can count himself lucky Fulham didn't score
  • 90
    Lawrie Sanchez is out in his technical area urging his team to go on and win the game
  • 90
    The fourth official indicates 4 minutes of added time
  • 88
    Dietmar Hamann booked for a needless foul
  • 86
    Richard Dunne with a sliced clearance is adored by the home crowd as Fulham regain possession
  • 84
    Stephen Ireland is replaced by Sun Jihai
  • 83
    Richard Dunne showed great strength and pace to match Kamara as he raced through on goal and clear the ball to safety
  • 81
    Bianchi and Geovanni replace Elano and Mpenza
  • 80
    Sven Goran Eriksonn gets Rolando Bianchi and Geovanni ready to come on as substitutes
  • 77
    Emile Mpenza with a total mis-cued shot as Man City push forward to try and get a winning goal
  • 75
    FULHAM 3 - 3 MAN CITY: (GOAL) Danny Murphy with a good finish to equalise in this dramatic game
  • 70
    And so is Dempsey
  • 70
    Richards is booked for his part in the incident
  • 70
    Micah Richards and Clint Dempsey go head to head after an aerial challenge
  • 67
    Seol Ki-Hyeon replaces David Healy
  • 67
    Hameur Bouazza is replaced by Danny Murphy
  • 66
    Micah Richards shows his class once again as he held off Kamara and played the ball on easily
  • 63
    Man City are playing some fantastic football and are looking very dangerous every time they attack
  • 61
    FULHAM 2 - 3 MAN CITY: (PETROV) A great move and goal between Elano and Petrov allowed Petrov into the box and the Bulgarian fired home to put City in front
  • 60
    Kasper Schmiechel dealt well with a low cross into the box from Konchesky, gathering it comfortably
  • 57
    Bocanegra once again in the action this time almost smashing the ball into the top corner with a half volley
  • 55
    Carlos Bocanegra is booked for a late lunging tackle on Elano
  • 52
    Carlos Bocanegra clatters into the boardings after tackling Mpenza but he looks to be ok
  • 50
    FULHAM 2 - 2 MAN CITY: (MPENZA) Emile Mpenza with an immediate reply for Man City with a close range header
  • 49
    FULHAM 2 - 1 MAN CITY: (BOUAZZA) Hameur Bouazza with a magnificent powerful free kick from twenty yards out
  • 47
    Kamara straight into the thick of the action nutmegging Richard Dunne and winning a free kick on the edge of the area
  • 46
    Fulham restart the game
  • 45
    Diomansy Kamara replaces the injured SImon Davies
  • 45
    Half time and it's all square at the break
  • 45
    It's all Man City towards the close, as the fourth official indicates one of added time
  • 43
    Bouazza did well to win a corner off Corluka as he surged down the left
  • 40
    Man City are getting back into the game slowly but surely as their goal looks to have knocked Fulham's confidence
  • 38
    Dietmar Hamann struck a half volley with perfection but unfortuneately it flew past the left hand upright
  • 36
    FULHAM 1 - 1 MAN CITY: (PETROV) Martin Petrov cut in from the left hand side and rode two challenges before poking the ball past Niemi into the bottom corner
  • 34
    Dietmar Hamann switched the ball to Garrido on the left, but the Spaniard couldn't pick a blue shirt out in the box
  • 32
    Vedran Corluka got forward to the byline and whipped the ball accross the face of the goal, but there was not a Man City player in sight and Chris Baird cleared to safety
  • 30
    Simon Davies is doing well down the right hand side and is causing Javier Garrido some problems
  • 27
    Martin Petrov missed the chance to put City level as Elano flicked a cross onto him at the back post, but the Bulgarian fired wide of the goal
  • 25
    Man City are off the pace and giving the ball away sloppily, this time it was Micah Richards who was caught in possession
  • 23
    David Healy claims for a penalty after he looked to be blocked off by Javier Garrido inside the penalty area
  • 21
    Fulham have played some good football in the opening twenty minutes and are putting Man City under suprising pressure
  • 19
    Steven Davis with another electrifying run from midfield but Hameur Bouazza stole the ball and fired way over the bar
  • 17
    Micah Richards with some solid defending once again for City
  • 15
    Clint Dempsey leaves the field for treatment on a head injury inflicted by Micah Richards
  • 13
    FULHAM 1 - 0 MAN CITY: (DAVIES) Simon Davies puts Fulham ahead with a superb glancing header from a Hameur Bouazza cross
  • 11
    Martin Petrov win Man City their first corner of the game which dropped just outside the box, for Elano to fire the ball straight down Anti Niemi's throat
  • 9
    Emile Mpenza did well to knock the ball off for Stephen Ireland who ran onto the ball but fired it a mile over the bar
  • 7
    Steven Davis with a surging run from midfield but took one touch too many and Vedran Corluka intercepted the ball
  • 5
    Good intervention by Micah Richards who just did enough to knock David Healy off balance as he looked to get his shot off
  • 4
    Simon Davies picked the ball up on the wing and whipped a good cross into the box that was cleared by Richard Dunne
  • 2
    Kasper Schmeichel get his hands on the ball early in the game with a good claim from Clint Dempsey's cross
  • 1
    Man City get the game underway
  • 0
    Referee: Mark Halsey
  • 0
    Clint Dempsey will be looking to continue his good for for Fulham, who will be looking to climb up the table with a home win here at Craven Cottage.
  • 0
    City will be boosted by the return of Richard Dunne who was suspended in the last game against Villa, and Stephen Ireland is also recalled to the side after his recent ordeal.
  • 0
    Fulham Line-up: Niemi, Baird, Bocanegra, Hughes, Konchesky, Bouazza, Smertin, Davies, Davis, Healy, Dempsey
  • 0
    Manchester City Line-up: Schmeichel, Corluka, Richards, Dunne, Garrido, Ireland, Hamann, Johnson, Petrov, Elano, Mpenza

Statistics

Fulham
Shots on target 8
Shots off target 5
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 10
Offsides 1
Corners 6

Manchester City
Shots on target 5
Shots off target 6
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 7
Offsides 0
Corners 2

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